NextGenKent

What would happen if the church you attended asked everyone to give their complete paycheck as their offering? Then your church would each week distributed all of the money for all of its members’ needs. What solutions would this bring? I can definitely see how I, personally, would be affected in my attitude. If I chose to do this I wouldn’t spend money on frivolous stuff like ice cream or movies. I would enjoy “things” less and spend more time with people. I would take a greater interest in people and help them when I could because I think I would have more time on my hands )since I wouldn’t be eating ice cream and watching movies). What problems would this bring? Well, I could see that power behind the money distribution would be quite tricky. Each request would need to be legit and proof would be needed for expenses so deceptive schemes would be unmasked. I would hope people would be more humble but I know that even the best of us would seek to be exceptions to the rules. This...

One saying I heard growing up was "Many hands make light the work" and another, "put your money where your mouth is." There were many others that took years before I understood what they meant (a stitch in time saves nine).  Paul tells the Corinthians a new saying about giving. But first, What would happen if we as a church asked everyone to give their complete paycheck to the Church each week so that it could be distributed for all of the members’ needs? What solutions would this bring? What problems would this bring? They did this in Acts 4:32-37. In 2 Corinthians 9:8-15 Paul tell the Corinthian believers that God is able to make all grace abound to them. Grace is unmerited favor, unentitled assistance. The result of God’s abounding grace is for His people to have all sufficiency and contentment in all things. Contentment is not luxury.  The purpose for God’s abounding grace is managed as a pass through account--God gives his abounding grace to y...

Generosity honors God, b ecause  Giving flows out of hearts that reflect the heart of Jesus. H as anyone ever given to you generously? Proverbs 11:28. Those who trust in their riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf. We trust in so many things throughout the day. We trust the refrigerator and our roof kept working over the night and that our car will still be in the garage and will start the next morning. Think about in comparison and contrast: Trusting in something is quite different than trusting in someone. People move around, not just physically but attitudinally as well. Trusting in God is trusting in a person--a worthy person to trust if not the ONLY person to trust. The Psalmist had this down when he he writes (20:7),  " Some trust in   chariots and some in   horses,      but we trust in the name of the  Lord  our God." We can trust in what can run out, however we can trust in Who ...